A Prince in Shining Armor
by Caoilte
Summary: Princess Serenity is rescued by and falls in love with Prince Endymion. Lady Zoicite asks her help in winning Lord Kunzite's love. Rating has gone up due to events in the story.
1. The Rescue

A Prince in Shining Armour  
  
Chapter One - The Rescue  
  
Prince Endymion had been out with his Guards checking the perimeter of the Royal lands when they all heard a faint scream. His horse bolted forward as he dug his heels into the horse's flank, his four companions right behind him.  
  
The unshaven bandit leader grinned savagely as he backhanded the girl he and his men had found again. He was starting to enjoy her spunk. She whimpered with pain.   
  
"Now, let's have a look at your goods, girl," he said with a hard laugh. The beautiful silver-blonde girl in his arms twisted and squirmed to avoid his touch.   
  
"Enough of this," he growled and took hold of the neckline of her now dirty and torn white gold-trimmed dress. He tore it off and away from her and began to kiss her with an animal lust.   
  
She began to scream and cry, only inflaming him further. Gathering her strength, she kneed him in the groin. With a cry of pain, he systematically began beating her, his pain spurring him to more savagery. Soon the girl was on the ground, unconscious from the brutal beating he was giving her. The dark-haired bandit leader towered over her body, continuing to beat and kick her by turns until he heard something behind him and turned to see what was happening.  
  
Endymion and his Guards came upon the clearing, and stopped short, taking in the scene that confronted them. The young prince gave a gasp of horror. A beautiful young girl was being assaulted by one of the bandits which had been terrorizing the neighbouring towns and villages, one of the reasons they'd been on patrol. They couldn't allow this to continue and with hisses of anger, they drew their swords. The bandit leader left off from his occupation with the girl and drew his own sword.   
  
"These are Royal lands and you have no business being here, much less attacking a vulnerable girl," Prince Endymion shouted as he advanced on the man. "Will you see to the others?" he asked Lord Kunzite, the leader of his Guards.   
  
"With pleasure," Kunzite replied with a gleam in his eye and motioned for the others to spread out. That taken care of, Endymion raised his sword and prepared to attack.   
  
With a cry that he hoped would intimidate the younger man, the bandit leader began to run towards the young prince with sword held high. Their swords met with a clang and Endymion forced his opponent back. With each blow they exchanged, the bandit leader was coming to the realisation that he was vastly outmatched by the prince and finally lost his nerve. With his men either swiftly dispatched by Kunzite and the other Guards or running for their lives, he turned tail, grabbed his horse and fled.   
  
Wordlessly, Endymion motioned to the fleeing bandit and the other Guards mounted and gave chase. He turned his attention to the still unconscious and badly beaten girl. Her extremely long hair was spread out like a river of gold-chased silver and he found himself falling to his knees beside her. Taking off his cloak, he covered the naked girl with it to preserve her dignity and waited for his men to return. He stroked her hair and whispered to her that everything would be all right. She really was quite pretty underneath the dirt and bruises he realised.   
  
Kunzite and the others returned soon after, wiping their bloody swords on their cloaks and sheathing them.   
  
"The bandits have been dealt with according to their crimes," he told the prince with some satisfaction. "However, Zoicite and Jadeite sustained some minor injuries during the fighting," he told Endymion.   
  
"We'll be fine," Lord Jadeite, a slightly built blond man, said with a grimace, favouring his right leg which was dripping with blood.   
  
With a nod, the young prince asked his men to help him with the girl. He mounted his horse and waited while the tall, platinum-haired Kunzite carefully lifted the girl and passed her to Endymion. Endymion cradled her gently to his chest and began the ride back to the palace.   
  
His mind reeling from the audacity of these latest attacks on Royal lands, he telepathically contacted his parents. His father was outraged.   
  
"Where are these brigands coming from and why are they so bold as to attack within our purview?" the King fumed.   
  
Endymion's mother was more concerned with the well-being of her son and the girl he'd rescued. "I'll make sure the healers are prepared for her," she told her son. Gratefully he thanked her and broke their telepathic connection. They made their way in strained silence, Lady Zoicite and Lord Jadeite nursing their wounds gingerly. Zoicite, a slight, dirty-blonde haired woman, held her left arm close to her chest and periodically grimaced with the pain. Jadeite had his right leg free of the stirrup and held it straight out along his horse's neck, trying to avoid scraping the leg wound on his horse's tack.  
  
"Mother is having the healers prepared, they'll see to your injuries," the tired Prince told his Guards as they rode. They nodded their thanks and Lady Zoicite looked at the girl in his arms.   
  
"Will she be all right, Endymion? Did we make it in time?" the Guard asked with concern in her voice.   
  
Endymion sighed. "I certainly hope so. She didn't deserve to be treated like that, no matter who she is. Which reminds me, we need to find out who she is and where she belongs so her family can be contacted."   
  
Lord Nephrite spoke up. "I don't recognise her, which means she's either visiting someone or isn't from anywhere near here at all. For all we know, she could have been kidnapped and brought here." he said.   
  
The prince looked at him in shock. Nephrite made a habit of studying the different physical characteristics of the people they came in contact with; their looks, their accents and their clothing, and could usually tell pretty accurately where someone came from just by looking at them. For him to admit to not being familiar with the girl came as a surprise to Endymion and the others.  
  
He sighed again and rubbed his forehead impatiently. "We'll find out soon enough who she is, I'm sure," he said tiredly.   
  
Soon they came to the palace walls. The Guard at the gate waved them through, having been warned to expect them. They nodded quietly to him and continued on to the palace proper. Except for the prince, they all dismounted, Jadeite with some assistance from Kunzite and led their horses to the stables to be seen to by the grooms.   
  
The Queen came out personally with the healers to see to the welfare of the girl and the injured Guards. After the girl had been taken into the care of the healers, Endymion dismounted, gave the reins to one of the grooms, and followed them into the palace. 


	2. Confusion and Introductions

Chapter two - Confusion and Introductions  
  
Princess Serenity woke up in confusion and pain, not recognising her surroundings. What had happened to her? The last thing she remembered, she'd been in the forest she'd teleported to in her search for the dark-haired prince she'd been watching on the viewscreens at the Moon Palace. She blushed slightly, remembering his handsome face and the things the sight of the handsome prince did to her senses. Turning her head slightly, she noticed she was in a sparsely appointed room, from the smell of it, a healer's quarters. Then it all came to her. She began to scream, remembering the bandit leader, seeing again his hands roaming her body and remembering the beating he'd inflicted on her. A blonde haired woman rose from her seat by the window and came to check on her.   
  
"How do you feel," the woman said to her with some concern.  
  
"Where am I, who are you...what's going on?" Serenity began to panic and tried to sit up. The woman pushed her gently back onto the bed and she began to cry in confusion and pain.  
  
"No, it's ok, you're with friends here," the woman tried to comfort the girl who was beginning to cry in earnest. She went to the door and spoke to someone there before coming back and sitting at her side.  
  
Serenity was more confused than ever. She didn't know where she was and nobody was telling her anything. She didn't know what had happened to her apart from being taken by the bandits and beaten when she had denied them their intent to have their way with her. She wished she'd never come down to Earth to find the prince who'd invaded her dreams, her every waking hour with his handsome face, regal bearing and kindness in his eyes.  
  
She stopped her crying and began to look at her surroundings once again, carefully avoiding looking at the woman beside her when she noticed her own injuries. Suddenly the door opened and the very man she'd come to see was striding towards her, caring and concern written across his features. She blushed again and lowered her head.   
  
What was he doing here? she thought. She thought she couldn't get more confused than she already was but here was the proof that she was wrong. She looked up in surprise when he knelt down beside her bed and took one of her tiny hands in his.  
  
"Are you all right? We were so worried about you. Do you need anything? Are you in any pain?" Prince Endymion was starting to babble in his confusion. He had been right - she did clean up quite pretty. In fact, more than pretty; he thought she was the most beautiful girl he'd ever seen in his life. One look from her amazingly blue eyes had completely thrown him. He took her hand in his and began to caress it slowly. The poor girl looked so out of it, his heart went out to her.   
Serenity looked at the man in confusion.   
  
"Just who are you? Where am I? How did I get here?" She looked like she was going to cry again.   
  
Endymion blushed in embarrassment. He'd forgotten she wouldn't know where she was or who he was.  
  
"I am Prince Endymion and you're in the palace infirmary," he said gently. "My Guards and I found you being attacked by that...that...," his words failed him as his eyes flashed once again with anger.   
  
She put her hand on his arm and smiled at him. His breath caught. By all that was holy, she was so beautiful. He wanted to kiss her, to put his arms around her and never let go. He swallowed nervously and continued.   
  
"We took care of those animals and brought you back to the palace - he'd beaten you pretty badly and we were so worried...." his words failed him and his midnight blue eyes grew clouded with pain. "Two of my Guards were injured in the fighting as well," he said, gesturing to the woman who sat across from him. Serenity noticed for the first time that her arm was in a sling.  
  
The woman nodded at her. "I am Lady Zoicite, the fourth of Prince Endymion's Guards." she told the girl.  
  
Serenity looked at Zoicite with surprise, looked away again and he caught sight of tears in her eyes. In a small voice she thanked him for saving her.   
  
"I must go now, my mother will be worrying about me. I do thank you for saving my life, it could have been at the expense of your own or those of your Guards," she said with sorrow.   
  
She didn't want to leave him, not now that she'd seen him up close and knew what a kind man he was. She also knew however that she had no choice. Her mother would be worried about her, she had been missing for too long she knew.  
  
"At least please tell me your name and where you're staying. We'll see you to your door and make sure you get home safely. It's the least we can do for you," Endymion couldn't believe she wanted to leave him so soon and wanted to make her stay.   
  
Serenity looked at the young man in sorrow. "My name is Serenity. My home is far from here and I'm afraid I can't let you put yourself out any more than you have done for me." She suddenly realised she didn't have any clothes on. Tears fell from her eyes again. "I don't have any clothes. That...person, he ripped my dress off me...." she couldn't continue. She put her head in her hands and began to cry silently in pain and fear.   
  
Endymion's arms went around the girl in an attempt to comfort her. His own eyes began to mist over at her tears. She pulled away from him in sudden fear. He understood - she didn't know him and she'd just been through a very traumatic event. He'd moved too fast for her. If only she would stay, he would make it up to her and show her not all men were out to harm any girl who crossed his path.   
  
Serenity felt cold as he took his arms from her and went to the door. He turned around and gave her comforting smile. "I'll see to your clothes m'lady," he said to her gently and left the room.   
  
Zoicite patted her hand gently. Serenity dried her tears with the handkerchief Zoicite provided for her. "You'll be just fine here, m'lady, Endymion is the most kind man I've ever met apart from..." she broke off with a blush and lowered her eyes in embarrassment.   
  
Serenity looked at her closely. She smiled and put a hand over Zoicite's. She had a feeling that there was something bothering the kind woman at her side. "It's ok Lady Zoicite. If you need to talk about it..." her voice trailed off. Then she mentally scolded herself. Of course she wouldn't talk about to a perfect stranger Serenity thought to herself with derision. Zoicite looked at her gratefully.   
  
"I've never had anyone I could talk to about this sort of thing. The majority of the Royal Guards are men and they would most likely laugh," Zoicite told the young princess. "The truth is, I am in love with Lord Kunzite, who is the leader of Prince Endymion's personal Guard. I just don't know how he feels about me. We're all close, I'd hate to ruin our perfectly good relationship on something so silly..." she whispered to Serenity, a blush beginning to creep over her face at the mere mention of Kunzite's name. 


	3. Feelings Revealed

Chapter Three - Feelings Revealed  
  
Zoicite kept her eyes averted, sure that Serenity was going to laugh or brush her off. When she didn't, Zoicite looked up, unsure of what to do or say next. She noticed Serenity seemed to be deep in thought and moved to give her some space. Serenity looked up at the sudden movement.  
  
"No, it's ok, Lady Zoicite, I was just thinking about what you said. This Lord Kunzite must be a very special man indeed...," she trailed off at the odd look in Zoicite's eyes. Her face was red as a rose from blushing and her eyes were glassy-looking.  
  
"Are you ok?" Serenity asked.  
  
That woke Zoicite out of her reverie. "Oh, yes, I'm fine, thank you," she stammered. "I...I was...," embarrassed, she couldn't continue. Serenity patted her hand in comfort.   
  
"I understand what it's like, I feel the same way about your prince, Endymion. I just wish I knew how he felt. I know I've only just met him but...," she began to blush as well.  
  
"We are a right pair, aren't we," Zoicite laughed. Serenity saw the humour as well and the two women shared a laugh at themselves and their predicament.  
  
Zoicite sobered. "Milady, I just have to ask, it's been bothering us all since we found you being attacked by those bandits. Where do you come from? We would have recognised you if we'd seen you here before now. And how did you come into the clutches of men such as those?" It all came out in a rush, as if Serenity would flee before she got it all out.  
  
Serenity's face went paper white, a fact that Zoitite didn't miss. She looked like she was going to faint. Zoicite put her good arm around her in comfort. "It's ok, we want to help you...," she said to the now trembling girl.   
  
Still Serenity didn't speak. In truth, she didn't know what to say to the woman she now counted as a friend. The Terrans didn't know about the Moon Kingdom; to them, the goddess Selene was pure mythology, nothing more. How could she explain her family, her culture and those of the other planets to these people so they wouldn't fear her or consider her insane and lock her up? She just looked at her feet, her face now expressionless.  
  
There was a knock at the door which made both women jump in surprise. Sheepishly, Zoicite rose to answer it. There stood Prince Endymion with a maid whose arms were full of clothing. He gingerly carried a pair of low-heeled cream sandals in one hand and a pair of white slippers in the other. She smothered a laugh. He wouldn't be very pleased if she laughed in his face, she knew. The door now open, they stepped into the room.   
  
Serenity felt a shiver of electricity run through her and looked up. There HE stood, with some shoes in his hands. For her, she knew. She blushed and looked away. Endymion put the shoes down gently beside the bed and sat in the chair vacated by Zoicite who had now left the room. He gestured to the maid to put the clothes away in the wardrobe and dresser. Having accomplished her task, the maid left the room quietly.  
  
"How do you feel now?" he asked her with concern plain in his voice.   
  
She was turned away from him, staring at the far wall. He took her hand in his when she didn't reply and she turned sharply to look at him. She blushed and looked down at her hands, which were now firmly ensconced in his. Looking at him out of the corner of her eye, she could see he was blushing as well, and trying to hide it. She smiled to herself. It appeared he did feel something for her after all.  
  
Finally, she spoke, so softly he could barely hear her. "I'm fine, thank you for asking." she replied, still looking at their conjoined hands.   
  
Endymion smiled. She still looked unnaturally pale to him though and he resolved that he wouldn't let her go back to her family without knowing she was fully back to health. The bruises on her face and arms still a livid purple and red, he winced. They stood out all the more against her pale creamy skin. Freeing one of his hands from hers, he lifted her chin so she was looking at him.  
  
"Are you sure you're all right? Those bruises look nasty. It may be some time before you're...," he couldn't speak past the lump in his throat.   
  
He had just realised how close they'd come to losing her, before even getting to know her. Afraid of losing his composure in front of her, he got up roughly and strode to the large bay windows, looking out at the gardens there. Normally, the sight of the beautiful flowers calmed him down but this day was not one of those times. He felt the tears flowing without check, he wasn't able to stop them any more.   
  
Serenity looked at him for a few moments, still shocked by his strange behaviour. Then she saw his shoulders shaking and couldn't stand it any more. She quietly slipped from the bed, pulled on the slippers, which fit perfectly she saw with amazement, and went over to him. Putting her arms around him gently, she pulled his head down to her shoulders to let him cry. She didn't understand why he was, just that he needed some comfort that only she could give.   
  
Endymion felt a shock run through him at her touch but didn't want to pull away. He knew now that he loved her, loved her more than anything in his world and that he would die without her. This realisation brought fresh tears and he sobbed into the silky white material of the nightdress she wore. She didn't say anything, just let him cry, a comforting hand rubbing his back.   
  
After what seemed an eternity, he got his emotions under control once more and turned to look at her. Putting her at arm's length, he looked deeply into her azure blue eyes and lost himself in them. He couldn't breathe or move at that moment, so deeply entranced by her that he felt himself becoming faint. She looked at him with concern and love (love? he wondered, and suddenly felt as if his heart would burst with happiness. She loved him too!) and he couldn't hold back. Bending his head down to hers, he gently placed a kiss on her mouth, almost groaning with the pleasure the taste of her lips brought to him. She stiffened slightly against him, then kissed him back, her arms stealing around his neck, holding him to her with a strength he never knew she possessed.  
  
Gasping for air, they broke off the kiss and stared at each other in wonder and amazement. She's so beautiful, mere words can't describe her Endymion thought in a daze. And she loves me! Me! He couldn't take it all in. Serenity stared back at him with much the same emotions running through her. She caught her breath.He was gorgeous. And he loves me too. Oh Mother, what am I going to do? she thought sadly. She knew there would be hell to pay but she was willing to fight for him and hoped he was willing to fight for her.  
  
She pulled free of his strong arms, turned away from him, and looked out at the colourful gardens outside the infirmary's bay windows. He sensed there was something wrong but didn't know what. He searched his memory for something he might have said or done that caused her such unhappiness. Drawing a blank, he stood behind her, slipping his arms around her tiny waist and giving her time to tell him what was on her mind.  
  
Drawing a deep breath, Serenity turned to Endymion with a sad, faraway look in her eyes. "I must tell you now where I come from and how I got here," she said to him sadly. "You must promise not to interrupt me and I hope you believe what I am about to say. It may sound far-fetched and you may not believe it, but it is the truth."  
  
Endymion stared at her in confusion. Why wouldn't he believe her? She took his hand and led him back to the bed. She sat him down in the chair, sitting on the edge of the bed, staring out into space and collecting her thoughts. Clearing her throat awkwardly, she began her tale. 


	4. Revelations

Disclaimer: SM is not mine. Surprised? Didn't think so...The   
  
characters belong to Naoko Takeuchi and various others, not me...  
  
As ever, emails are always welcome: caoilte.la-canadienne@laposte.net   
  
Chapter Four - Revelations  
  
***FLASHBACK***  
  
Serenity winced as she heard her name called out but chose not to   
  
reveal herself to the searchers. As soon as the other girls moved  
  
on, she came out of hiding and resumed her seat on the bench in   
  
front of the giant viewscreens showing the planet Earth.  
  
She gazed in rapt attention at the scenes shown; a grassy meadow, a  
  
lake with various unknown species of winged animals, forests that  
  
stretched as far as the eye could see. All these things had no   
  
counterpart on the silvery expanse of the moon. Any wildlife that   
  
lived here was the same silvery or white hue as everything else on the  
  
moon. She enjoyed the different colours these Earth people had and   
  
wanted so much to see them for herself.  
  
She looked at the digital clock that registered the time, on the   
  
bottom right corner of the viewscreen. It was still early in the day.  
  
Her mother and friends wouldn't be needing her for anything 'official'  
  
yet so she had plenty of time to kill.  
  
Making up her mind, she furtively made her way to the transport grid.  
  
Using her access code, she punched in co-ordinates for the place she  
  
knew as the Palace lands. She had seen a gorgeous prince there, who   
  
had captivated her since she first laid eyes on him a few years back.  
  
Every spare moment since then had been spent looking at him on the   
  
viewscreens and studying his planet.  
  
"Who knows," Serenity thought, with a thrill of excitement. "I may get  
  
to meet this handsome prince in person. He looks like a fair and   
  
gentle man. I wonder what sort of person he is REALLY like," she   
  
hugged herself with anticipation.  
  
She stepped onto the transport grid and within seconds vanished from  
  
view. She didn't expect to be gone too long, she knew it was forbidden  
  
to go to Earth, but couldn't help herself. She had to see things for  
  
herself. Especially the handsome young Earth prince.  
  
Serenity smiled. She found herself in the King's Forest, several kilo-  
  
metres from the palace itself. She knew the prince would be out today  
  
and wanted to meet him as quickly as possible. As she was thinking   
  
this, someone grabged her roughly from behind.  
  
"Be quiet girl, if you know what's good for you," the as yet unseen   
  
man hissed in her ear. She shivered with fright but didn't make a   
  
sound.  
  
"There's a good girl," the bandit smiled as he turned her around.   
  
"Let's see you then," he growled.   
  
As soon as he let her go to turn her around, she tried to make a run   
  
for it but he was quicker off the mark. He'd obviously had experience  
  
with this before because he caught her quickly and grabbed her arm,   
  
swinging her around roughly.  
  
Then she noticed the other men, stationed around the small clearing  
  
she'd landed in. She gasped with horror and struggled with all her   
  
strength.  
  
"Now, let's have a look at your goods, girl," he said with a hard   
  
laugh. The beautiful silver-blonde girl in his arms twisted and   
  
squirmed to avoid his touch.   
  
"Enough of this," he growled and took hold of the neckline of her now  
  
dirty and torn white gold-trimmed dress. He tore it off and away from   
  
her and began to kiss her with an animal lust.   
  
She began to scream and cry, only inflaming him further. Gathering her  
  
strength, she kneed him in the groin. With a cry of pain, he   
  
systematically began beating her, his pain spurring him to more   
  
savagery. Soon the girl was on the ground, unconscious from the brutal  
  
beating he was giving her. The dark-haired bandit leader towered over  
  
her body, continuing to beat and kick her by turns until he heard   
  
something behind him and turned to see what was happening.  
  
***END OF FLASHBACK***  
  
She looked down sadly. "I am not who you think I am." she told him   
  
softly. He stared at her, thoroughly confused.  
  
"I am Princess Serenity, of the Moon Kingdom, and like you, I have   
  
guardians in the form of the Sailor Senshi. They, in turn, are the   
  
princesses of their respective planets."   
  
Endymion looked at her as if she'd taken leave of her senses but   
  
didn't interrupt her.  
  
Serenity continued her story without looking at him. "I have been   
  
watching you from the Moon Palace for years. It's like I felt drawn to  
  
you from the first time I saw you and I had to see you so I waited   
  
until they were otherwise occupied and snuck down here. The only thing  
  
was that I got caught by that...," here her words failed her and she   
  
began to cry softly.  
  
Endymion didn't know what to say but put his arms around her. He loved  
  
her, no matter what she said or did, and though he didn't understand   
  
everything she said, he knew she wasn't lying to him. She rested her   
  
head on his chest before continuing with her explanation.  
  
"I'd ended up in the trees, a little way from where you rescued me   
  
from and they were just...there," she said, a little calmer now.   
  
"I don't know where they came from or even who they were or what they   
  
wanted. He just grabbed me before I knew what was going on and...well,  
  
you know the rest," she continued, sighing. She didn't want to spoil   
  
the moment but it was inevitable.  
  
"My mother is going to be frantic. I've never been gone this long   
  
before. She'll know I've done something I shouldn't have," despite   
  
herself, she began to cry again. "I just can't bear to be apart from   
  
you now, Endymion. I love you, I know I shouldn't but I do..." she   
  
wept into his chest. "What am I going to do? How do I explain all this  
  
to my mother? How am I going to explain this to the Senshi? They're   
  
going to kill me!" Serenity began to get hysterical.  
  
Endymion sighed inwardly and stroked her beautiful hair. It seemed to   
  
calm her down and oddly enough calmed him as well. He loved her hair,   
  
he loved everything about this delicate Moon Princess of his and he   
  
wasn't about to let anything come between them. Not the Moon Queen,   
  
not the Senshi (whoever they were), not his Generals and certainly not  
  
his parents.  
  
Reluctantly, he began to move away from Serenity. "You know we're   
  
going to have to tell my parents about this. My mother in particular,"  
  
he sighed. "She is not going to like this at all, but I know she has a  
  
strange soft spot for you," here, he smiled gently at the girl in his  
  
arms and gave her his handkerchief to dry her eyes.  
  
She looked up at him in surprise. "She does?" Serenity asked.   
  
"Yes, she doesn't let many people have access to her best healers   
  
every day, you know," he grinned at her. "In all seriousness, she was  
  
almost as frantic as we were at the state you were in when we brought you  
  
back to the palace yesterday. She made sure that there was only the   
  
best available for you." He paused, deep in thought.  
  
"My mother's always been a bit strange. She gets these...premonitions  
  
at times, and almost always, they come true. Maybe she knew something   
  
about this. I will ask her if you like," Endymion told Serenity.  
  
"That's not necessary, my dear."   
  
The two whirled in shock as they heard the Earth Queen's voice from   
  
the doorway. 


	5. Allies and Enemies

Disclaimer: Same as before...repeat after me - Sailor Moon is not mine...She belongs  
to Naoko Takeuchi-sensei. The story however, is mine...

Chapter Five - Allies and Enemies

The pair turned as they heard the Earth Queen's voice from the doorway but did not  
break apart. This fact was noted with a smile by the Queen and with narrowed eyes  
by her Lady-in-Waiting, Lady Beryl. Beryl was displeased to say the least. Prince  
Endymion was hers! How dare this upstart from the Moon, if indeed that was where she  
was from, come and try to take away HER Prince. Too bad... Beryl shut that idea away  
quickly - one never knew who may be listening in to her thoughts.

The prince's mother grinned at the couple. "I'm so glad to see you're up and ready  
to face the world again, my dear," she said to Serenity. "I couldn't help but over-  
hear your tale, and while I agree it's quite fantastical, I have had some dealings  
with your mother and if you like, I can try to smooth it over with her."

This last bit made Serenity catch her breath in surprise. She looked up at the Earth  
Queen in shock. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Prince Endymion wasn't  
faring much better and oddly this made her smile. Turning to face him, they both broke  
into relieved laughter.

"I'll take that as a yes then," the Queen smiled and gestured to Beryl to precede her  
from the room. As they left, she turned to them again. With a conspiratorial whisper,  
she told the smiling couple, "And for what it's worth, I heartily agree with any  
relationship my son decides to make," and with that, she followed Beryl out of the  
room.

Endymion turned to Serenity. "How about that?" he smiled. "I never would have guessed,  
I guess it's one of those things that you get to find out about when you're the reigning  
monarch rather than a mere prince," he joked.

Serenity agreed with him, laughing. "I never guessed that my mother had dealings with  
the Earth royalty either. We were always forbidden to go to Earth or have any contact  
with anyone from your planet so I thought that extended to her as well. I'm so glad  
Endymion, this means we won't have to give each other up. I'm not sure I could have  
anyway..." she threw herself into his arms and gave him a quick kiss.

He grinned and kissed her back. "Shall I show you around properly?" he asked her  
mischievously.

"Why not? I will show you around the Moon any time you ask," she replied with a grin  
of her own.

"I'll let you get dressed then, and I'll show you round the palace when you're ready,"  
he told her. "Just don't take forever?" he asked plaintively.

Serenity just laughed and rising, pushed him out the door to wait for her to finish  
getting ready. 

Outside the room, Endymion rested his head on the cool door. All of a sudden, he felt  
someone touch him on his back. Whirling, he faced Beryl, who had come back.

"You scared me Beryl, what do you want?" he asked her breathlessly.

"Well, I might ask you the same thing," she replied in an innocent voice. "I've seen  
how you look at that girl," she curled her lip in derision, "and I must say, I'm not  
pleased. I always thought it would be us as a couple, Endymion darling," she purred and  
made to kiss his lips.

Endymion grimaced and moved her hands away from him, narrowly escaping her kiss. "I have  
no idea why you'd think that, Beryl, I certainly have never encouraged you. Now run along,  
I'm showing Serenity around and I don't want you there spoiling things!" he hissed at her.

She recoiled as if struck. "You'll regret making me an enemy, Endymion. I have the ear of  
your parents AND the council. I can make things difficult for you and that girl," she cried  
as she stormed off down the corridor.

"Good riddance," Endymion sighed with relief. "At least Serenity didn't see that."

"No, but I could hear it," Serenity replied from the open doorway, giving him another fright.

He felt as if all the women in his life were conspiring to give him a heart attack. He sighed  
again and took her hand.

"Ignore her, she doesn't and never has mattered one bit to me. As I said to her, I never  
encouraged her attentions and never welcomed them either." He shuddered. "She's always been a  
little...strange. I grew up with her, her family are aristocracy from way back and she feels  
it's her Gods-given right to have whatever she likes, and in this case, it's me." Endymion  
groaned. "Let's go on the tour and forget about her and her empty threats. I don't believe  
her for one second when she says she'll make trouble for us," he continued and taking her arm  
in his, led her down the corridor in the opposite direction from the way Beryl went, showing  
her the unique tapestries and arms on the walls.

As he spoke, Serenity couldn't help but wonder what would come of Beryl's threats. They hadn't  
sounded hollow to her and she shivered. Who knew what that woman could do?

Unbeknownst to the pair who were blithely chatting away about the various elements of the palace,  
a slim figure watched them from behind a pillar with a murderous expression on her pretty features.  
Seeing them stop and kiss briefly, she fumed and almost revealed herself but caught herself just in time.  
she broke off her thoughts as she saw them  
kiss yet again. Her rage was close to the boiling point and to avoid detection, she turned and slipped  
quietly away, threatened tears of anger streaming from her eyes.

"Hey, watch where you're going," a male voice cried out in dismay as she crashed into him.

Strong hands held her up and kept her from an embarrassing tumble to the floor. Beryl looked up, containing  
herself with an almost visible effort, forcing herself to smile as if nothing was wrong. She eyed the  
blond man with a speculative gleam in her eyes.

"I'm so sorry," she managed to squeak out. "I wasn't paying attention. It won't happen again," she apologised  
to the General Jadeite who had managed to keep her from losing her composure completely. She looked at  
the young man coyly from under her eyelashes, well aware of the effect she had on men...well, most men, she  
amended to herself.

"That's all right, no harm done," Jadeite flushed with pleasure at the glances he was getting from  
the beautiful Lady-in-Waiting to the Queen. The ambitious General soon fell under her spell as she  
wove her arms with his and they walked down the hallway, talking about nothing in particular.

Lady Beryl gave a predatory smile. Things were going better than she'd hoped. Yes, much better....

* * *

Hope this works properly....(lucky I've just been learning HTML innit?)  
Cao 


	6. Evil Foreshadowing

The usual disclaimer goes here ---> I don't own Sailor Moon or any of the characters. I'm manipulating them  
for Naoko Takeuchi-sensei *big grin* The story is mine...all mine *insert cackles here*

A/N: The following few chapters are inspired by something told to me by a friend, and I've changed some events for the sake of the  
storyline. If anything like this has ever happened to you and you haven't told anyone, please get help; the effects of something like  
this can be more devastating than the assault itself. Call your local Rape Crisis Centre or a health professional. **_Keeping this in mind  
the events in this story are fictionalised, not canon and not actually pivotal to the end story, and thus won't be dealt with as in  
real life._** The rating of the story goes up from here. You have been warned. Any flames will be used to heat my house.

Chapter 6 - Evil Foreshadowing

Endymion looked around carefully. He hadn't really believed Beryl's threats were as hollow as he made out  
to Serenity and he didn't think she believed him either. He sighed. He'd have to make Beryl see that there  
was nothing she could do to make him change his mind about her. They'd grown up together and until recently,  
he'd only thought of her as a sister, if he thought of her at all. Now, he wished he hadn't let her tag along  
so much, or that he'd noticed sooner the obsessive fixation she'd had for him.

So far the coast was clear. Straightening his dark blue uniform jacket, he began to knock on the door of  
Beryl's suite when he nearly knocked on General Jadeite's face. Jadeite had been in the process of putting on his  
trousers and flushed a bright red when he saw to whom it was he'd opened the door.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't realise..." Endymion blushed as well, and to Jadeite's relief, looked away.

He knew full well his young General's escapades with any woman he fancied though he'd never actually caught him  
at any of his dalliances. He figured, with a rare moment of clarity, that perhaps this could be a good thing. Maybe  
Jadeite could keep Beryl's attentions away from himself and Serenity for a while. If their affair proved something more,  
all to the better.

Jadeite was surprised to see his prince knocking at Beryl's door.

"That's all right sir, I was just leaving," and with a meaningful look back at Beryl, he took his leave hastily, still  
limping from his earlier injury.

Beryl looked defiant.

"I'm not going to stop seeing him, if that's what you're here for," she said to him with anger twisting her pretty  
features. "Who I see is none of your business!"

The young prince looked at her mildly.

That's not why I'm here actually," he told her calmly. "I just wanted to warn you again to stay away from Serenity  
and I. I don't see that MY relationship is anything to do with you, much less what you do is any business of mine. I'm  
not going to say anything if that's what you're worried about."

Beryl raged. The nerve of him! How dare he warn HER to stay away from him. Suddenly, a plan formulated itself into  
her brain. She began to scream obscenities at him. She didn't care who heard her, for all she was concerned, the whole  
palace should hear her.

"How dare you, get out of my rooms. I don't have to listen to your accusations or be slandered by you. As a matter  
of fact, why don't you just leave," she screamed and slapped him, making sure to scratch him with her blood-red painted  
nails.

Endymion looked shocked as he put his hand to his face. Whatever he'd expected her to do or say, this wasn't it. He  
grabbed her arms to shake some sense into her. This seemed to have the opposite effect to that which he'd intended  
however. She began to scream even louder at him. 

"Don't you touch me!" she screamed at him. "Get your hands off me! I'm not one of your little whores you can do with  
as you please," she shouted, hearing footsteps in the hallway. "Leave me alone," her screams reached a crescendo.

Suddenly she began to cry huge tears, reached out and grabbed his trousers, wrenching them down to his knees.

The humiliated young man pulled his trousers up and left the room, his composure finally gone. Not noticing the  
servants outside the door, he yelled back at the crying and screaming lady-in-waiting.

"I hope you get what's coming to you," he yelled and slammed the door, nearly running into one of the wide-eyed  
servant entering the suite in his haste to leave.

Beryl's eyes widened with barely concealed glee; the servant mistaking her look for fright, tried to calm her down.  
He'd fallen neatly for the trap. Now it was time to reel in the little fishie, she thought with malicious pleasure,  
allowing the servant to lead her to her bed, and call for the healers.

Serenity found the still-enraged Endymion outside in the gardens a few hours later. Turning away from her, he didn't  
answer her whispered questions and finally she left him in the gardens to calm down. She'd noticed what Endymion hadn't;  
a long angry scratch mark on his face which bore the fading handprint of an unmistakeably feminine hand. Pursing her  
lips, she wondered if he'd been to see that Beryl. Serenity knew that woman was dangerous, and she hoped that Endymion  
hadn't angered her past the point of return. She'd go and see the Lady-General Zoicite. She'd know what was going on.

Zoicite stood at the window of her small cell-like room in the barracks, her back to Serenity.

"I can only tell you what I heard," she told the Lunar Princess solemnly, all the while wondering if it was actually  
true. She'd seen for herself the ruins Beryl had made of any man or woman's lives who crossed her over the past few  
years.

Serenity's hands shot up to her mouth in frantic disbelief. It couldn't be true she thought to herself. It just  
couldn't! She'd seen the marks Beryl's hands had made on Endymion's face though and shook her head in denial.

"No, I won't believe it, I won't. He's not like that at all, he wouldn't assault anyone, let alone someone that  
everyone knows he doesn't like..." she trailed off, seeing the flaw in her argument.

Shaking her head again, she sank down on the bed in the sparsely appointed barracks room.

"What are we going to do?" she asked Zoicite in a tiny voice. "I refuse to believe he'd do anything like this. He  
just wouldn't."

"Why don't we see if Kunzite has any solutions to this very puzzling problem," Zoicite suggested gently.

She knew that Jadeite had just come from Beryl's suite at the same time Endymion had been there as he'd been lording  
it around that he had a conquest in the palace and that he'd seen the prince going into the lady-in-waiting's rooms. It  
didn't take a genius to put 2 and 2 together. Any excuse to see the object of HER affections was welcomed as well,  
though she wasn't going to let on that that thought had entered her mind until she saw Serenity looking at her with a  
speculative gleam in her eyes. She gave a nervous laugh.

"All right, I'd love to see Kunzite even if there wasn't this situation hanging above the prince as well," she grinned,  
in a faint attempt at lightening the atmosphere.

She was rewarded with a small smile and chuckle from Serenity and suddenly things didn't seem quite so dire. Zoicite  
put her arm around the young princess and gave her a gentle hug.

"Everything will work out just fine, you'll see. The truth will come out, sooner or later, I know it will. People  
like Beryl always get their comeuppance sooner or later."

Serenity gave her a small smile and nodded slowly.

"I'm sure it will, I just hope you're right. I know he would never do what she's accused him of, I know it in my  
heart, Zoicite," she said, pointing to the centre of her chest. "I'm not very familiar with your laws on such things.  
On the Moon, anyone accused of rape is castrated on the first offense and forever shunned."

Zoicite looked grim.

"Here, things are a little different, Your Highness," she said, her voice suddenly hard. "Anyone proven to have  
committed such a heinous crime is put to death. We have no time for such niceties, with all due respect. We have too  
many people here on Earth to warrant a mild punishment such as that. The punishment is the same, should the perpetrator  
be peasant, noble, or royalty."

Shaking her head again, she sank down on the bed in the sparsely appointed barracks room. Her complexion was paler  
than normal at the thought of losing her beloved, and at this moment, Serenity's stature seemed even more delicate. Zoicite  
put her arms around Serenity in comfort and after she'd recovered her composure, they went in search of Kunzite to present  
the problem to the wise General.

They found him in the prince's quarters, talking to one of the prince's valets. They both stopped talking as soon as the  
women entered the room. The valet made his excuses and left the room. Kunzite looked grim.

"I see you've heard the bad news. Why is it that bad news often travels faster than good news?" he asked rhetorically.

The women had no answer for him and looked equally grim.

"It seems that despite the fact that he's supposed to be on duty here, Jadeite has disappeared without notice or trace," the  
General told them darkly. "It sounds like something Beryl would do, send her only witness to the contrary out on some  
errand so the prince is immediately suspected and can't be cleared."

Serenity gasped. Despite what Endymion had said, she knew Beryl was dangerous, not only to herself it seemed, but to the  
prince as well. She sank down into a nearby chair. She had to be strong she knew, but she was only a foreigner here, she  
no real power to affect the outcome of this matter. The moon princess sighed.

"Well, then I guess our next task is to find Jadeite and find out what REALLY happened," she said with a calmness she  
did not feel.

The other two nodded. That was their feeling as well, though they had no idea where to look. Jadeite kept himself  
to himself, his womanising notwithstanding. They were in the midst of brainstorming when a messenger arrived at the door,  
knocking discreetly.

They all looked up as one.

"Yes?" Kunzite asked sharply.

The messenger cleared his throat nervously.

"The Lady Serenity is asked to attend the Queen, your lord- and ladyships," he said meekly.

They looked at one another. It seemed that Serenity's true rank was being kept a secret for the time being. They played  
along with the Queen's wishes.

"I'll be along presently," Serenity told the messenger, who bowed and left the room.

"I guess you'd better see what the Queen wants," Zoicite said. "Kunzite and I can take it from here. After all, we know  
Jadeite and I'm sure we can find him soon," she told the indecisive princess.

Serenity eventually nodded and called for a servant to take her to see the Queen; as she was still fairly new to the  
palace, she didn't know her way around very well and didn't want to chance getting lost. She also knew it gave Zoicite a  
chance to be with Kunzite, which she didn't begrudge her. Once the servant arrived, she left with him and was taken to see  
the Queen.

* * *

Thanks to Krysia and Seiya for having a read and giving their constructive comments/advice on this chapter.


	7. Reunion

Disclaimer: *sighs* Must I? All righty then. Y'all know the characters  
belong to Naoko Takeuchi (long may she be a manga-ka) but the story is  
mine...all mine.

Chapter 7 - Reunion

The Queen sat, brooding, on a finely brocaded chair, placed so that it  
had an excellent view of the beautiful gardens. Looking out on the roses  
her husband had planted to celebrate the birth of their son Endymion,  
she wondered what he would say about this when he found out. She knew  
as well as anyone that the allegations were untrue but they had to be  
fairly investigated just the same. There couldn't be one rule for the  
poor and one for the rich.

The queen sighed and turned as the door opened and one of her footmen  
stepped thru to announce the arrival of the Lady Serenity. She stood  
uncertainly at the door and the queen waved her inside. Telling the  
butler to close the door behind him, she invited Serenity to sit in one  
of the other chairs.

Serenity looked miserable, truth be told. The queen thought anyone with  
eyes could see it. She patted the younger girl's hand in comfort, causing  
her to look up.

"It's all right my dear, things will work out in the end. I know that  
my son would never do anything like Beryl is accusing him of but it  
still needs investigating. We need to be seen to be taking this seriously  
or we loose whatever credibility we have with the people we serve. Can you  
see that?" she asked the young woman.

Serenity nodded, then burst out, "Why is she doing this? I wish she was  
never here, I wish he'd never gone to see her. I knew she was trouble  
right from the start and now this! She deserves to be thrown out of the  
castle for this!"

She started crying, angrily.

"I can't believe that Endymion would do anything and I refuse to believe  
it! She HAS to be lying."

Serenity slammed her hand down on the arm of the elegantly appointed  
chair in anger and frustration. The queen moved behind the moon  
princess and put her hand on the young princess's shoulder in comfort  
and stared out into the garden.

"I think it's best that you go back to your mother now, while we sort  
this out here," she put up her hand as Serenity started in indignation.

"Let me finish please. Things are in a right mess now and the fewer  
people caught up in it the better right now. It WILL be sorted, one  
way or another and I can promise you that we will get to the bottom of  
this and Beryl will be dealt with befitting her crime if she is proven  
a liar. Now, I have spoken with your mother and you are not in any  
serious trouble. She was absolutely frantic you know," she smiled down  
at the now shame-faced princess.

Serenity nodded, her contrition real.

"I didn't mean for any of this to happen. I just wanted..." she trailed  
off.

It seemed an incredibly foolish and selfish thing that she'd done, on  
hindsight and she heartily wished that it hadn't turned out so badly.  
She felt that she'd let her mother and her kingdom down. The only good thing  
to come out of it was the love between herself and Prince Endymion, but she  
didn't know if it would be allowed to flourish or if it would die with him,  
should he be convicted and executed. The thought didn't cheer her much,  
despite the fact she was certain he was innocent.

The queen smiled. Maybe there was hope for her yet. She could see the  
emotions on Serenity's face and it cheered her to see that tho she was  
headstrong, her heart was in the right place. That was all to the good.

"Your things have been taken to the transporter and your mother is  
waiting for you," the queen told the subdued girl.

"Thank you, your Majesty," Serenity said softly. "I want to see Endymion  
before I go," she stopped when she saw the queen shaking her head with a  
sad look on her face.

"I'm afraid that's not possible right now. He's in the jail awaiting  
trial on the charges. I know you'd like to see him but prisoners, even  
royal ones, are not permitted visitors. I'm sure you understand," she  
said, giving the devastated princess a small hug.

"Could you see to it that Endymion, Zoicite, and Kunzite are informed  
of my departure? I also am worried about Jadeite. He's not been seen  
since..." Serenity trailed off, her sadness and frustration almost  
overwhelming her.

The queen nodded.

"I will tell them, don't worry. I do not know if you may be allowed to  
return any time soon, but if the situation changes, I will at least  
see to it that you are told," she said.

Serenity nodded and the queen pulled an elegantly braided cord on the  
wall beside the door. A footman opened the door and she spoke briefly  
to him, nodding at his words.

"They're waiting for you now," she said, not unkindly, to the princess.

They hugged warmly, said their goodbyes, and Serenity followed the  
footman to the transporter and was soon in the arms of her senshi and  
her mother, all of them in tears of joy at her return.

"I'm so sorry, mother, I didn't know..." she sobbed as she fell into  
her mother's arms.

Her mother hushed her and ushered the entire contingent out of the  
transporter pad and into one of the rooms of Serenity's suite. There  
the maids had started a fire and laid out a simple supper of cold meats,  
salads, cheeses, and vegetables cut into slices. Rolls, hot from the ovens,  
were also available, with pots of butter next to them. It made Serenity's  
mouth water and she forgot everything to tuck into the food.

Mars looked at her sourly.

"Trust you to drop everything at the sight of food, Serenity," she said  
wryly as she sat down in one of the chairs and prepared her own plate  
of food with as much decorum as she could muster.

The others nodded and grinned at the young princess who blithely ignored  
them all and ate her meal hastily. Everyone stared slack-jawed in  
amazement at her and she finally looked up, noticing the silence.

"What?" she asked, her mouth full.

They all shook their heads, it was amazing how she could put food  
away like that and yet still have the tiniest waist of them all.

"Never mind, we're just glad you're back home and safe," Venus piped  
up cheerfully.

Queen Serenity waited for them all to finish before asking her  
daughter about what had happened. Serenity looked at them all in  
shame.

"It was awful. I thought that I was going to die - I was attacked by  
some bandits but Prince Endymion came with his people and saved me.  
The Queen, his mother, is such a wonderful woman, she sent her best  
healers to help me and here I am," her face fell.

"We ran into a few problems though. A nasty scheming woman has  
made trouble for us, accusing Endymion of the worst things. I know  
he didn't do it, he couldn't have, but the only person who can  
prove it has gone missing," here she almost dissolved into hysterics,  
but managed to get herself under control, eliciting a small look of  
surprise on a few faces. She usually allowed herself to give full rein  
to her emotions at times like these and this sudden change unnerved  
them.

Her mother nodded in sympathy.

"I can see that you deeply regret your actions and I am glad you are  
safely home, but you do realise that your senshi are going to have to  
follow you everywhere from now on. Your safety is paramount to us, you  
know that, and this could have jeopardised everything. Not to mention  
you had us scared half to death. We thought you'd been kidnapped or  
worse." Queen Serenity didn't mean her words to sound as harsh as they  
sounded but her anxiety for her daughter's safety coloured them all  
the same.

Serenity nodded somberly, not looking at her friends or mother.

"I'm sorry mother, girls. I didn't mean to..." she looked down at her  
hands, close to tears again.

Her friends were quick to give her hugs of forgiveness and love, her  
mother looking on benevolently.

"I know you didn't mean to, and that's why you'll be given training  
along with your senshi so that if this ever happens again," here she  
gave her daughter a stern look, as if to say 'this better NOT happen  
again', "and I will arrange for it to start in the next few days after  
you've recovered from your trip."

Serenity stared at her in dismay. She knew how hard her senshi trained  
and she didn't think she was up to it but she knew better than to argue  
with her mother, especially after what she'd done.

Eventually she nodded agreement and they all left her to herself and  
she fell onto her bed, softly crying to herself, eventually falling  
asleep.


	8. Bad News and Good News

Disclaimer: I still don't own Sailor Moon. Surprised? Thought not...now read on...

**Chapter 8 - Bad News and Good News**

Endymion paced the length of the small cell he had been assigned. Due to the fact that any prisoner's stay was temporary, there was no attempts at making it comfortable in any way. He vowed to himself that when he was released, that would change.

Stopping at the back wall, he slammed his fist into the stones and cursed himself for a fool. Beryl had well and truly gotten him. He couldn't see any way out of it and wondered why Jadeite, who could tell the truth of it, hadn't already done so. He was unaware of his General's disappearance, and felt hurt that his loyalty had been so sorely lacking.

Gradually he became tired of the constant pacing and, with his back to the wall, sank down to the floor and rested his head on his drawn-up knees. He thought about Serenity and what she'd told him, as well as what little he'd learned from his mother before he'd made his foolish attempt to speak to Beryl. It didn't make sense to him, yet it did. His head was reeling with the possibilities.

Another thing he would change once he became King, Endymion reflected, was the isolation of Earth from the other planets. He had been completely unaware of their existence and it was wrong, he felt. Earth needed contact with the other planets, and they needed Earth. That settled, he decided to just wait it out. He knew he was innocent; he also knew that his family were working to free him. Endymion just wished they'd hurry up about it.

Suddenly he heard footsteps coming down the narrow, badly lit corridor. He looked up curiously as he knew that prisoners received no visits from anyone. A cloaked figure stood at the door, silently measuring him. The lone guard opened the door without a word and ushered the guest into the cell, locking the door behind him as he exited the cell.

Endymion rose quickly, knowing that if he were attacked, the worst position to be in was sitting on the floor. He waited for the unknown visitor to speak. He or she seemed to be waiting for him to say something, so he decided to wait him/her out.

Finally, the person spoke. It was not someone he expected, and he gave a small start. The figure lowered the cowl on the cloak and stepped forward, embracing the young prince.

"Prison seems to have knocked some sense into you Endymion," Kunzite teased as he hugged the young man in welcome.

"Kunzite! What are you doing here? Why all the secrecy? What's going on?" Endymion was babbling with shock and surprise.

Kunzite stepped back and looked away for a moment, clearly not relishing the role he was thrust into as messenger of bad news. He searched for a way to tell his liege the current situation in such a way that wouldn't upset or alarm him but couldn't find it, so he just came out with it.

"My Prince, I regret to bring you this news, but Jadeite has disappeared, almost at the same time as Beryl made her accusations about your conduct. We have people out searching but so far we've had no luck. That won't stop us though, we will search until we have found him..." he trailed off at the look on the young man's face.

Endymion looked away. Now that he knew why Jadeite hadn't come and corrected the story, he was even more alarmed. It appeared that this was something bigger than even he had dreamt. He thought that Beryl was just using him for her own purposes but this was beyond that. He could see that there was something else, so he looked enquiringly at Kunzite to continue.

Kunzite steeled himself. "Your father has taken several of his guards and part of the army to the area of the Royal Forest where you found Lady Serenity. It seems that the bandits there have become bolder than ever, torching the villages and taking off with anything and anyone they like, seemingly with impunity. We've also heard of the disappearance of the warden of that area, as well as the local governor. Something is going on Endymion and it's bigger than anything we've seen before. It may be safer for you to be here right now, but of course, we are still working to get you released and the charges seen for what they are, a blatant attempt by Beryl to discredit you."

Endymion gaped at him in shock. This was NOT what he'd expected at all. He'd taken the bandit attack for a one-off, and now it was growing into the beginnings of anarchy.

"I need to be there, I need to help my father," he tried to push past Kunzite, but was rebuffed.

"Did you not hear what I said, Endymion?" Kunzite asked, almost angrily. "It's safer for you here!"

Endymion punched the stone wall again, wincing in pain as his abused knuckles stung with pain. "I can't just sit here and do nothing, Kunzite. I may not have a kingdom to go back to if this escalates," he insisted.

Kunzite turned back to the door and as if conjured, the guard reappeared. He unlocked the door and allowed Kunzite to exit, before slamming it shut again and locking it. Kunzite turned back to Endymion.

"Rest assured, I will get to the bottom of this mess, find Jadeite and work out who is behind this latest incursion. We will not let anything happen to you, your family or your people. Don't worry about that, at least. Now try and get some rest and think about anything you may have seen or heard recently that could help us," and with that he was gone, replacing the cowl and leaving the prison, his footsteps echoing on the walls.

Endymion sat back down in his previous position again, fuming impotently. This latest news from Kunzite was definitely not what he'd expected, nor was the news welcome. At least he now knew that Jadeite was potentially still loyal to him and that news gave him comfort. He knew that if anyone could find the missing general, Kunzite could.

Serenity awoke, feeling a faint sense of foreboding. She was still very concerned about Endymion and wanted to help but couldn't think of what she could accomplish from her home on the moon. She vaguely thought of avoiding the senshi and her mother but as she rose from her soft bed, she heard the hushed voices of Mars and Mercury outside her door. A look out her window showed her the seated Jupiter and Venus, deep in conversation.

She sighed. Her eyes fell on the viewscreens placed discreetly along the outside perimeter of the palace, and she smiled. She finally had a plan.

Dressing quickly and quietly, she went to the far wall of her room, pushing back the draping curtain and pressed the palm of one of the cherubim carved into the wooden panelling. A door slid soundlessly open and she slipped through as the door closed behind her.

She went through the narrow passage way to her mother's dressing room, and after ascertaining that her mother wasn't there, went out the door as if she'd just stepped in to talk to her mother, waving to the guards there with a smile. Serenity looked around for anyone looking her way. So far, so good. Everyone seemed to be at their normal duties this morning.

Serenity left the palace and went to her usual, isolated viewscreen and turned it on. Giving it the verbal command to search for the General Jadeite, she waited. After what seemed an eternity, it came up with a view of a bound and gagged Jadeite, being held in what looked like a small one-room shack. She pursed her lips. She was unfamiliar with Earth and was frustrated. She gave it another command and watched as it showed her something she didn't expect to see. Men in the King's livery were fighting close to where Jadeite was, but obviously couldn't tell he was there, as he was unable to make himself heard. She needed to tell someone, but who?

After giving it a little bit of thought, she decided to ask her mother for permission to go back to Earth and talk to Endymion's Generals. They would be the ones who could find and rescue Jadeite. She ran back into the palace and through the corridors to her mother's office, where she knew her mother would be working, even this early in the day. Getting past the guards, she opened the door and entered the room, to find her mother reading one of the many papers on her desk.

She sat on a nearby chair and waited for her mother to acknowledge her. Queen Serenity studied her daughter over the mass of papers on her desk. She seemed to be agitated, but was trying hard not to show it. Maybe there was hope for the girl yet, she mused. Clearing her throat, she finished sifting through the paperwork.

"What's the matter, Serenity? I can tell there's something bothering you. Does it have something to do with Prince Endymion?" she asked, startling her daughter.

Serenity started, then looked earnestly at her mother. "Please Mother, I have to go down there. Endymion is in trouble and I know how to help him now, but it's urgent. I may be able to save two men's lives, one of them Endymion's, but only if I go now. Please, may I go to Earth and help them. I can't think of any other way..." she faltered at the non-committal look on her mother's face.

Queen Serenity looked calmly at her daughter, giving no hint as to her true feelings.

Serenity tried to remain calm, but it was hard in the face of her mother's scrutiny. Looking down at her hands, she forced herself to remain quiet, well aware that any out-burst could cost her the chance to save both Endymion and Jadeite.

Apparently Queen Serenity was satisfied with what she saw, as she relaxed and smiled. "Of course you may go to save the Earth prince and his General. However...," she held up a hand as her daughter opened her mouth to speak. "However, you must be well aware that things are going on that we don't quite understand yet. There is also the small fact of your leaving without permission, not to mention going to Earth, which is forbidden." She looked sternly at the young woman seated in front of her.

"I'm afraid I can't let you go on your own. It's too risky. You're all I have, Serenity, I don't want to lose you. It would be the end of everything if anything happened to you," she looked almost sadly at Serenity. "I hope I don't need to impress upon you the seriousness of things. Your senshi will accompany you. I'm afraid I can't spare the older girls, nor the Saturn princess, who is obviously still far too young, but you will have more than enough help in Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Mercury...," she was unprepared for Serenity's reaction as she leapt out of her chair and hugged her mother enthusiastically.

"Oh thank you, thank you, thank you!" she cried as her mother struggled to free herself. She looked sheepishly at her mother as she let go and sat back down. "Sorry Mother, I don't know what came over me," she apologised.

Queen Serenity smiled again. "I was young and in love once too, you know," she grinned conspiratorially at the young girl who looked shocked. "I can see how it is between you and Prince Endymion, and while I am not happy about it, nothing is gained by forbidding you to see each other. I trust you to be discreet and tactful and I hope you don't disappoint me," she said as Serenity nodded soberly.

"I won't let you down, Mother. You can trust me. I won't do anything foolish. I've learned that much from all this," she said ruefully. She rose to go. "I suppose I should tell the others and get ready to go properly. Thank you for understanding, Mother. I hope I am in time to save Jadeite and Endymion."

Her mother smiled and nodded. "Good luck, dearest. I will speak to Her Majesty the Earth Queen and make the necessary diplomatic arrangements for you, although I believe it would be best if you kept a low profile while you're there. I know she understands that as well. May the Gods go with you and keep you safe."

The two women hugged and Serenity left shortly after to make preparations to leave for the Earth as her mother began to talk to the Earth Queen.

**library**


End file.
